If you can tear yourself away from the warm and sparkling waters of Waikiki Beach, there’s an abundance of cultural draws to savour, scattered across the island. Feeling particularly virtuous, I hauled myself up Waikiki’s postcard-perfect backdrop, Diamond Head. It’s a two hour slog in total, requiring a moderate level of fitness, but the trail is punctuated with walk-through tunnels and the grand reward of a stupendous view from the top. It’s best undertaken early morning, before the heat sparks up.  At the base of the trail, take a stroll through past the glorious homes and manicured streets of Kahala, the “Beverly Hills of Hawaii.” 

If you’d prefer a cooler hike through lush rainforest, where bamboo and guava trees line your path, culminating with a massive waterfall as a climactic treat, the Manoa Valley trail is a cracker. Also nearby, I loved exploring the tropical finery of the Harold L. Lyon Arboretum, an 80 hectare botanical trove of tropical plants. Beyond the heavily-trafficked sands of Waikiki Beach, if you’re up for a snorkel, take the fifteen minute hop to Hanauma Bay. Fringed by waving palms, this scallop-shaped bay is very shallow, super safe and swarming with tropical fish. A small admission fee helps support the marine preserve. 

Head over to the verdant Windward Coast, where you’ll soon notice the drop in temperature and a higher rainfall count. (Four times that of sunny Waikiki.) Backdropped by the Ko’olau Mountains, this towering range is famed for its tight ridge lines and sheer cliffs, plunging 1000 feet.  The Nu’uanu Pali Lookout is a scenic showstopper, but also wreathed in epic historic drama. It’s the site of the Battle of Nu’uanu, where in 1795 King Kamehameha I won the struggle that finally united the Hawaiian Islands under his rule. From the lookout, the vertical cliffs is where over 700 Oahu warriors, who opposed unification, plummeted to their deaths, literally forced over off the cliffs after they were overwhelmed by the king’s forces. The panoramic view is as captivating as the history is compulsive.

Also on the windward side of Oahu, I loved visiting Kualoa Ranch, a private nature reserve which is operated by the descendants of Dr Gerrit Judd, who acquired the land from the Hawaiian monarchy in 1850. Steeped in history, with ancient pa sites and fishponds, there’s a wealth of activities on-tap at this working cattle ranch, including expeditions to see where Hawaiian royalty once lived. But for me, it was Kualoa’s Movie Sites Tour that lured me. A multitude of movies and TV shows have been filmed here, particularly in “Film Valley”, including Jurassic Park, Godzilla and Hawaii Five-0.  Whether it’s for eco-adventure, cultural heritage or Hollywood fame, Kualoa Ranch is a thrill.

Pop into Byodo-In Temple, in the Valley of the Temples, nestled at the base of the chiselled Ko’olau Mountains. This is a replica of the magnificent 900-year old temple in Japan, and was built in 1968 to celebrate the centenary of the arrival of the first Japanese to Hawaii. It’s majestic, peaceful and utterly gorgeous. I felt very Zen.

It had been 20 years since I last visited the Dole Plantation, but an outing to Pineapple Country in Oahu still makes for a succulent, lip-smacking encounter. The vividly coloured Pineapple Express train delivers an excellent narration of the history of the pineapple industry, kids love the World’s Largest Maze, there’s the Plantation garden to explore - and who could possibly say no to a pineapple sorbet Dole Whip?

These are just some of the enticements of Oahu I encountered as part of Grayline’s Grand Circle Island Tour, which is an all-day affair, with superb on-board narration, brimming with insights and anecdotes. Ed, my driver/guide, was the archetypical Hawaiian, effusively charming, outgoing and laid-back. The tour includes several stops for an assortment of free samples, spanning moreish macadamia nuts, creatively coated in a blaze of flavours, to freshly brewed Hawaiian coffee.  Similarly, Oahu’s comprehensive public bus network, duly named The Bus, will whisk you to most of these locations, if you want to linger longer – or snack on more of those moreish macadamias at the nut farm! www.gohawaii.com/nz

Hawaiian Airlines provides direct services to Honolulu from Auckland, plus onward flights to eleven mainland USA destinations, and unrivalled reach across the Hawaiian islands. The airline is particularly proud to be the only US carrier that still offers complimentary meals in economy. Celebrating three years in New Zealand, you also get a generous 2x 32kg baggage allowance! That’s a whole lot of shopping. For best rates and flights to suit, head to www.hawaiianairlines.com

Mike Yardley is Newstalk ZB’s Travel Correspondent on Saturday Mornings with Jack Tame. 11.20am